I tried a couple of demos from Steam Next fest. Without writing up an essay:
- Aden: Quirky game with reasonably difficult combat (when played in hard), cool music, and a story I ended up being surprisingly interested in. I was in it for the unique aesthetics and vibes and ended up being invested in whatever was happening.
- Until Then: Lovely little visual novel set in the Phillipines (which I love, as most games centered around Asian culture tend to be Japanese or Chinese focused). The dialogue is fun, the pixel art presentation is incredibly good and even has some beautiful animated scenes, and there's enough intrigue and curiosity that really piques my interest in terms of the setting. It's modern day, set about a decade ago, but with a twist of paranormal worldwide happenings in an otherwise normal world.
I'll throw in my one suggestion for Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight (https://store.steampowered.com/app/428550/Momodora_Reverie_Under_The_Moonlight/)
Honestly just a really high quality experience that can be finished in around six or so hours. One of my favorite games of all time by many accounts: aesthetic, gameplay, atmosphere, and storytelling.